substantial way at present--but God bless
you, just the same." He dropped down on the rock again and hid his face
in his hands. Another moment and the kindhearted trooper might have been
lying face downwards in the muddy ground around the spring. It had been
only touch-and-go, but the man's warm Irish heart had saved him.

"Oh, that's all right, sir," O'Connell answered freely. "Sure an' _I'd_
like to see ye get through, though I ain't the Gineral. At least, not
yet," he grinned.

"There ye are, little girl," he went on, pushing the knapsack over
towards Virgie with the muzzle of his carbine. "Jist help yerself--an'
give yer dad some, too."

With a little cry of delight Virgie swooped down on the knapsack and
explored its interior with eager hands.

"I'm much obliged, Mr. Yankee. We cert'ny do need it--bad." She tossed
the tangled hair back from her eyes and looked thankfully up at this
curious person who had so much food that he could really give part of it
away. "Please, Mr. Yankee--won't you tell me your name?"

"Harry O'Connell, at your service, miss."

"Thank you," she bowed. "I'm very glad to meet you." Then her searching
hands found something wonderful in the knapsack and she sprang up and
ran with her prizes to her father.

"Look, Daddy--_two biscuits!_ Take one. It's--it's _real_!"

Cary's eyes grew moist.

"Thank you, darling. Thank you." Just now the lump in his throat would
not have allowed him to eat soup, let alone a rather hard biscuit, but
he looked up with a laugh and waved a genial salute to the trooper, who
as genially responded.

Virgie, however, had become quite single minded since she had discovered
food, and with a happy sigh she raised the biscuit to her lips. Just
then the sentry in the road flung up his hand with a shout.

"Look out, O'Connell! They're coming," and he clambered quickly over the
wall and dropped behind it, his gun in readiness.

"What is it?" demanded the other trooper.

"Detachment of cavalry. A small one."

"But whose is it, man. Can ye not see?"

Collins, holding his hand behind him in a gesture which commanded them
to stay where they were, raised his head cautiously over the wall.

"Morrison's," he answered, after a quick look, and he dropped down again
out of sight.

At the sound of hoof beats and the name she remembered so well Virgie,
with her biscuit all untasted, sprang up from the ground as if she would
run out on the road. But her father caught he